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Are You An American Citizen? This Simple Question Is Causing a Big Controversy.

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Updated: 5:59 PM EST Dec 7, 2018

Are You An American Citizen? This Simple Question Is Causing a Big Controversy.

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Updated: 5:59 PM EST Dec 7, 2018

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WEBVTT SOLEDAD: I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN WELCOME TO MATTER OF FACT. ARE YOU AN AMERICAN CITIZEN? IT TURNS OUT THAT SIMPLE QUESTION IS CAUSING A BIG CONTROVERSY. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO INCLUDE IT IN THE 2020 U.S. CENSUS. THE CENSUS BUREAU RECOMMENDED AGAINST IT BUT THEY WERE OVERRULED BY COMMERCE SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS. THE CENSUS BUREAU SAYS THE GOAL IS TO COUNT PEOPLE. AND THERE ARE WORRIES THAT FAMILIES WHO HAVE SOME MEMBERS WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED MIGHT IGNORE THE CENSUS ALTOGETHER BECAUSE OF THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION. THE CENSUS, OF COURSE, HELPS DETERMINE HOW MANY CONGRESSIONAL SEATS AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES A STATE GETS. IT’S USED TO DRAW POLITICAL DISTRICTS AND DETERMINES HOW MUCH FEDERAL FUNDING STATES RECEIVE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN GERRY CONNOLLY FROM VIRGINIA IS EXPECTED TO CHAIR THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE WITH JURISDICTION OVER THE CENSUS. IT’S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH ME TO BE WITH YOU. THERE PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT SAY LISTEN IT’S A FAIR QUESTION WHY NOT ASK PEOPLE YOU KNOW THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION IT’S A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION WHY NOT DO IT? REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: WELL I WOULD FIRST OF ALL WE ALREADY GET THAT DATA AND THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY ASKING IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CENSUS IS RISKING ACCURACY OF THE CENSUS. WE KNOW THAT. SO THIS ISN’T A QUESTION OUT OF CONTEXT OUT OF CONTEXT. WE HAVE WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT QUESTION IN CONTEXT GIVEN WHAT’S HAPPENING THE BACKDROP OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND ITS VIRULENT ANTI-IMMIGRANT RHETORIC AND POLICIES. PEOPLE HAVE RATIONAL REASON TO FEAR THAT QUESTION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IF I ANSWER IT. SOLEDAD: SO THEN THE THEORY IS THAT THEN PEOPLE WILL JUST NOT RESPOND TO THE CENSUS ERGO YOU DON’T GET AN ACCURATE COUNT. REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: THAT’S RIGHT. BUT LET’S NOT MUCK UP THE CENSUS BECAUSE UNLIKE THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY THE CENSUS IS A CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED ACTIVITY THAT EVERY TEN YEARS DETERMINES FUNDING FORMULAS FOR STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND DETERMINES THE NUMBER OF SEATS YOU’RE ENTITLED TO IN YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE AND IN THE U.S. CONGRESS. SOLEDAD: THE COMMERCE SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS ORIGINALLY SAID THAT THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION CAME FROM A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MEMO THAT SEEMS TO BE IN DOCUMENTS THAT ACTUALLY MAY BE NOT TRUE THAT HE TOOK STEPS IN FACT TO ADD THE QUESTION IN MARCH OF 2017. DO YOU SUSPECT THEN OR WHAT DO YOU SUSPECT IS HIS MOTIVE FOR THIS QUESTION? REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: WELL THE CLEAR REPUBLICAN MOTIVE IN THE CONTEXT OF VOTER SUPPRESSION PURGING VOTER ROLLS TOUGHENING UP VOTER I.D. TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE TO VOTE MAKING SU EX-FELONS DON’T HAVE THEIR VOTING RIGHTS RESTORED. THIS IS ALL PART OF A PATTERN TO SUPPRESS VOTERS WHO MIGHT ACTUALLY BE DEMOCRATIC VOTERS AND THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS MILLENNIALS YOUNG VOTERS PEOPLE OF COLOR. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY’VE DONE. SOLEDAD: WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS NOW WITH THE DEMOCRATS IN CHARGE OF THE HOUSE. WHAT REALLY IS GOING TO BE SPECIFICALLY YOUR ABILITY TO CHANGE WHAT HAS BEEN GOING DOWN THE PATH WHICH IS THIS QUESTION ON THE CENSUS IN 2020? REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: I THINK WE HAVE TO VERY QUICKLY HAVE SOME VERY SUBSTANTIVE HEARINGS SO THAT WE GET THE EMPIRICAL DATA ON THE TABLE THAT YOU ASK THIS QUESTION AS PART OF THE CENSUS AND YOU’RE GOING TO HURT THE ACCURACY OF THE CENSUS. AND THAT HAS ALL KINDS OF RAMIFICATIONS. SOLEDAD: DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS OR LAWMAKERS AS A WHOLE WILL MOVE TOWARD INVESTIGATION OF WILBUR ROSS IS PART OF THIS QUESTION BEING ADDED TO THE CENSUS? REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: I CERTAINLY HOPE SO BECAUSE WILBUR ROSS LIED TO THE CONGRESS. HE BASICALLY SAID LOOK DOJ THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MADE ME DO THIS. THEY WERE THE ONES WHO WERE PUSHING FOR IT. WE NOW KNOW FROM EMAIL TRAFFIC. THAT’S NOT TRUE. HE WAS THE ONE PUSHING FOR IT. AND IF YOU’RE SO CONFIDENT ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF THIS QUESTION OF WHY IT HAS TO BE ASKED WHY WOULD YOU LIE TO CONGRESS ABOUT IT? SOLEDAD: ARE THERE YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE REPUBLICANS WHO AGREE WITH THIS POSITION THAT IN FACT THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION SHOULD NOT BE IN THE CENSUS SHOULD NOT BE ADDED. REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: AGAIN, I LOOK AT BEHAVIOR. IF THEY’RE SO PROUD OF THIS. IF THEY’RE SO CONFIDENT IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS QUESTION WHY NOT HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT IT. SOLEDAD: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN YOUR DISTRICT IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA? REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: I REPRESENT PROBABLY ALMOST 30 PERCENT OF MY POPULATION IS FOREIGN-BORN. SO THIS IS A REAL ISSUE IT’S NOT AN ABSTRACT ISSUE FOR MY HOUSEHOLDS AND CERTAINLY A VERY GREAT CONCERN ABOUT ICE ABOUT THE POLICIES OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITH RESPECT TO IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRANTS. SO I’M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS OF SO MANY HOUSEHOLDS TO BE COOPERATIVE KNOWING THAT THAT INFORMATION MIGHT BE USED AGAINST THEM. SOLEDAD: HOW LIKELY IS IT DO YOU THINK THAT THIS QUESTION IN FACT THE CITIZENS QUESTION WILL NOT BE ON THE CENSUS COME 2020? REP. GERRY CONNOLLY: BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE WHEN THEY HAVE TO FINALIZE THE CENSUS FORM. WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER. CERTAINLY I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO TRY TO MAKE THAT QUESTION GO AWAY. SOLEDAD: GERRY CONNOLLY, NICE TO HAVE YOU WIT

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Are You An American Citizen? This Simple Question Is Causing a Big Controversy.

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Updated: 5:59 PM EST Dec 7, 2018

In the quickly approaching 2020 Census, the Trump administration wants to know if you are a citizen. Census results are used to determine how many seats a state gets in the House of Representatives and how much federal funding they receive. And that question could keep many people - even those legally in the country - from answering, potentially leading to an inaccurate count of who lives where. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D- Virginia) is expected to chair the House subcommittee with oversight of the census. He tells Soledad O’Brien Democrats will fight to keep the question off the census.

In the quickly approaching 2020 Census, the Trump administration wants to know if you are a citizen. Census results are used to determine how many seats a state gets in the House of Representatives and how much federal funding they receive. And that question could keep many people - even those legally in the country - from answering, potentially leading to an inaccurate count of who lives where. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D- Virginia) is expected to chair the House subcommittee with oversight of the census. He tells Soledad O’Brien Democrats will fight to keep the question off the census.